Ethiopia rejects “virtual” border with Eritrea

January 17, 2008 (ADDIS ABABA) — Ethiopia on Thursday rejected a “virtual demarcation” of its disputed border with Eritrea, a proposal that was accepted by Asmara a day earlier.

The two nations have been deadlocked over their 1,000-km (620-mile) border since a decision by an independent boundary commission in 2002 gave the flashpoint town of Badme to Eritrea.

The Hague-based commission, set up as part of a peace deal ending a 1998-2000 war, “virtually” demarcated the border late last year after the two sides failed to agree on their frontier.

On Wednesday, Eritrea said it accepted the ruling and called on Ethiopia to remove its troops from Eritrean soil.

“Virtual demarcation is a legal nonsense,” Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Wahade Belay said in response.

“It is invalid and unacceptable … No border demarcation is recognised unless the lines are drawn on the ground and pillars are posted based on the agreement of both Ethiopia and Eritrea.”

Wahade told Reuters Eritrea should allow U.N. peacekeepers to operate freely in the Temporary Security Zone on the border, so that demarcation would be conducted on the ground.

Analysts and diplomats fear an incident along the frontier could spiral out of control and provoke a full-scale war.

Ethiopia had initially rejected the 2002 ruling. It now says it unconditionally accepts the decision, but wants more talks, which Eritrea dismisses.

Asmara has repeatedly accused Addis Ababa of planning to invade — an allegation dismissed by Ethiopia.

(Reuters)